Prospects, First KY Native Highlight Initial Fifth-Season Roster

Bowling Green, KY – In conjunction with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Bowling Green Hot Rods announce the initial roster for 2013, the fifth season of Hot Rods baseball. The first crop of players to appear in a Hot Rods uniform this season features seven of Baseball America’s “Top 30 Rays Prospects” and Luke Maile, the first-ever Kentucky-native to play for the Hot Rods.

The Hot Rods once again feature some of the best talent in the Rays Minor League system. Pitchers Taylor Guerrieri (#3), Blake Snell (#9), Jeff Ames (#13), and Nick Sawyer (#30), as well as 3B Tyler Goeddel (#16), OF Andrew Toles (#19), and 3B/1B Patrick Leonard (#26) are considered by Baseball America as “Top 30 Rays Prospects."

For the first time in team history, the Hot Rods will have a Kentucky native on the team’s roster. Edgewood’s Luke Maile will make his full-season debut with the Hot Rods in 2013 after being selected by the Rays in the eighth round of last June’s draft. After winning Kentucky’s “Mr. Baseball” in 2009 while at Covington Catholic, the catcher/first baseman excelled at the University of Kentucky for three seasons.

Nineteen players that helped the Hudson Valley Renegades win the 2012 New York-Penn League crown make-up the 2013 Hot Rods roster. The roster also features six returning players to Bowling Green. Tyler Goeddel made his professional debut with the Hot Rods in 2012 and returns to anchor third base. Pitchers Sean Bierman, Shay Crawford, Reinaldo Lopez, and Nick Sawyer, as well as utility man Ben Kline were all late season call-ups to Bowling Green in 2012.

Citizens First Opening Night is Monday April 8 at 7:05 PM as the Hot Rods take on the Lansing Lugnuts (Future Blue Jays). Visit BGHotRods.com or call (270) 901-2121 to order Citizens First Opening Night tickets, single-game tickets, or Mini Plan/Pick-A-Plan ticket packages.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.